Monticello

Dry conditions continue to plague much of Minnesota, with seasonal rainfall far below normal. The problem is most severe in the northwestern part of the state, where farm fields are crying for much-needed moisture.

Ken Martin has been re-elected to a third two-year term as chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The vote was unanimous at the party central committee meeting in Monticello on Saturday.

A Minnesota church has just made a big impact in one community. They gave their members a $100 bill and a challenge to help someone in need this holiday season. What started as a typical Sunday service for Quarry Community Church in Monticello sparked a season of giving.

Police believe a man who they say caused a crash in Monticello Township over the weekend was driving while intoxicated and without a valid license. The crash happened at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening along County Road 39 near Aetna Avenue Northeast.

Words spoken at this week’s city council meeting are heating up the mayor’s race in Monticello. Councilmember Glen Posusta is running to become the city’s next mayor, but a reference he made at Monday’s council meeting is being taken by many as derogatory and unnecessary.

Two people were killed and another is in critical condition after a head-on crash northwest of the Twin Cities on Sunday. The Wright County Sheriff’s Office was called to a crash involving multiple vehicles and injuries at about 5:17 p.m. on County Road 39 NE at 107th St. NE in Monticello.

One man was injured in a two-car crash near Rogers, Minn. Sunday afternoon. Forty-year-old Bryan McCarthy, of Waite Park, sustained non-life threatening injuries after his car skidded into another on Interstate 94.

The Minnesota Department of Health says two more cases of E. coli infection have been confirmed in the state. The department said Thursday it has been able to interview 14 of the 15 cases. Through the interviews, investigators confirmed that 12 of the ill people ate at an Applebee’s restaurant in Minnesota between June 23 and June 29.

An investigation by Minnesota utility regulators blames Xcel Energy Inc. for major cost overruns during a project to upgrade its nuclear plant in Monticello. Xcel disagrees that it’s to blame. Reports say experts hired by Minnesota utility regulators found Xcel managers didn’t fully plan for the job and didn’t have adequate oversight.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reports that Interstate 94 westbound near Monticello is down to a single lane due to a pavement failure. The stretch should be down to a single lane for about an hour, MnDOT said.

Officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting Monday night to discuss its latest safety review for Xcel Energy’s nuclear power plant in Monticello. Overall, the NRC found that the Monticello plant operated safely in 2013. But its annual assessment also found some problems that have led to greater oversight.

A 34-year-old man from Monticello was killed when his snowmobile crashed with a pickup truck in Silver Creek Township Saturday afternoon. According to the Wright County Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened at about 2 p.m. on the 13700 block of County Road 75 Northwest.

Usually, WCCO viewers are putting meteorologist Chris Shaffer “On the Spot.” But earlier Thursday evening, he helped a guy put his girlfriend on the spot in a really big way. Luke was watching WCCO’s 6 p.m. weather forecast with his girlfriend, Ally. But this wasn’t just any old forecast. “I was just like ‘Hey look, it’s our picture!’ And she was like ‘Oh, that’s so cool!’ Luke said.

A Monticello, Minn. man with a history of drug abuse and mental illness skinned and baked his pet cat on Monday afternoon because “he wanted to try cooking it with onions,” charges state. Cody Alexander Mann, 28, has been taken into custody and now faces felony charges of cruelty and torture of an animal.

It’s hard to believe any birds can tough out our Minnesota winters. Swans in Monticello choose to stay through the ice and snow, some even living on ice with only a patch of water nearby. But lately, the Department of Natural Resources has received a lot of calls about birds on ice. Nongame Wildlife Information Officer Lori Naumann says people think they’re stranded, but that’s usually not the case.

With snowflakes falling Thursday, we are entering the peak of soup season. And in Minnesota, that means wild rice soup. It’s as much a part of the diet here as hot dish. But who makes the best? Your votes sent me to Monticello to try a bowl at the Cornerstone Cafe.

Authorities said an 81-year-old Monticello man died Tuesday when his vehicle went off the road in Wright County, went into a ditch and hit a tree. The Wright County Sheriff’s Office responded to a one-vehicle crash at about 1:53 p.m. Tuesday near the area of 127th Street NE and 120th Street NE in Monticello.

The regular season in high school football is over, which means there are no more guarantees for anything anymore. We’re in the playoffs, where the ultimate goal is to survive, advance and hopefully win a championship.

Maple Grove Police have arrested a man suspected of a month-long armed-robbery spree that mostly targeted fast-food restaurants along the Interstate 94 corridor. According to authorities, Douglas Wayne Gravelle was taken into custody on Thursday. This arrest comes after a string of armed robberies which began in early September. Fast-food restaurants in Sauk Rapids, St. Cloud, Big Lake, Clearwater and Monticello were targeted. A Game Stop video game store in Monticello may also have been robbed by Gravelle earlier this month.

Authorities are looking for a suspect after a man robbed a video game store in Monticello at gunpoint on Saturday. The Wright County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Monticello GameStop just before 10 p.m. Saturday on the 9200 block of Cedar Street.

There is yet another huge Friday night on our hands in high school football across Minnesota as we’re turning the corner on the regular season. It’s hard to believe that just three weeks remain for teams to get big victories and to position themselves for the playoffs.